In a significant operation on Wednesday, a joint team from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Borno State Ministry of Health uncovered several neglected warehouses in Maiduguri’s Gamboru area, storing flood-damaged drugs worth millions of naira.
The warehouses, found in isolated and unsafe locations, were used to store medications affected by recent floods. The operation, led by Borno State Commissioner of Health Baba Malam Gana and NAFDAC’s Director for the North-East Kenneth Azikiwe, aimed to prevent the compromised drugs from entering the market.
This raid was conducted following a directive from NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Christiana Mojisola Adeyeye, to avert a potential public health crisis linked to the distribution of these unsafe medicines.
Kenneth Azikiwe stated, “We are on an evacuation mission to seize and destroy drugs damaged by the flood in the Gamboru market. These drugs are unsafe for consumption and could pose serious public health risks.” He urged the public to report any attempts to sell or sun-dry the affected medicines.
Baba Malam Gana highlighted the critical need for proper drug storage and pledged that the Borno State government would enforce safety standards to prevent such occurrences in the future. He also assured that compensation would be provided to business owners affected by the drug seizures, with support from the Federal Government. Gana referenced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit, during which the President promised aid to flood victims, including those in the Gamboru market.
Gamboru Medicine Market Chairman Bukar Modu expressed the market’s readiness to cooperate with the government and called for financial support to alleviate the impact of their losses. “Our primary concern is the health of our people, and we hope the government will provide us with the necessary financial support after this process,” Modu said.
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